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Security in football: Police mobilize 120 forces against rivalry!
Deployment of the federal police in Altona during the game between HSV and Mönchengladbach: security concept and fan support explained.
Security in football: Police mobilize 120 forces against rivalry!
On January 17, 2026, an exciting duel between Hamburger SV and Borussia Mönchengladbach took place in the Volksparkstadion. But behind the football experience there was also an extensive security concept that was used to keep possible conflicts between the fan groups in check. Loud news.de Around 120 federal police forces were on duty, supported by the federal riot police. The fan relationship was classified as hostile, which highlighted the need for an increased security presence.
Over 57,000 spectators streamed into the stadium, including more than 25,000 HSV fans who mainly traveled by public transport. The journey was mainly via the S-Bahn stations Stellingen, Othmarschen and Eidelstedt. The Mönchengladbach supporters were also on their way: around 520 fans traveled by train, of which around 260 were classified as risk fans. In order to prevent the fan groups from mixing, around 320 Mönchengladbach fans came from Harburg to Altona under federal police escort before continuing on to Othmarschen on a special S-Bahn.
Security concept with success
The Federal Police's security concept has proven to be effective. Five football-related criminal cases were initiated during the game, underlining the tight security measures. After the game, the Mönchengladbach fans were also given an organized return journey by traveling with a special S-Bahn from Othmarschen to Altona and then with a long-distance train towards home. The cooperation between the Federal Police, the Hamburg Police and the Deutsche Bahn security forces was commendable and contributed to the successful completion of the operation.
Given the increased security precautions, it is clear that the issue of stadium and fan violence in football is a hotly debated topic not only in Hamburg, but nationwide. Also dfb.de has addressed the challenges of ensuring safety in stadiums. Representatives from politics, police, DFB, DFL and other institutions regularly discuss the complex relationship between fans, security and the necessary measures to reduce violence and police deployment hours.
Nationwide measures to improve safety
German fan culture is under pressure, both from the behavior of individual criminal elements and from political measures. In order to increase security in the stadiums, the DFB is calling for an increase in the number of fan representatives and a strengthening of the clubs' security officers. The focus is on trusting cooperation between all those involved in order to ensure a high level of security and at the same time maintain the positive fan culture.
In summary, despite the challenges associated with the current climate surrounding football matches, security concepts in Hamburg and beyond aim to create a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. The developments and measures of the last few years show that we have a good knack for not only protecting the football culture in Germany, but also promoting it.